The 2002 Nissan Maxima has 4 recalls, the most serious being a passenger-side airbag inflator that can rupture during deployment and send metal fragments into the cabin, posing a risk of serious injury or death.
A separate recall addresses the accelerator pedal on vehicles with electronic throttle control: if the driver pushes the pedal down with excessive force while also pressing it sideways, the pedal can travel beyond its normal range, causing the engine to severely cut power. If this happens unexpectedly at speed, it raises the risk of a crash. There is also a compliance recall affecting vehicles with traction control: the odometer displays distance in kilometers rather than miles and lacks a label indicating the unit, which does not meet federal display requirements.